


Juxtaposition

by RetrobrandTerobrand



Category: Phineas and Ferb
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe, Angst, Emotional Manipulation, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Human AU, M/M, Past Abuse, Past Relationship(s), Torture, set after the last day of summer and before the O.W.C.A Files
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:07:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21909448
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RetrobrandTerobrand/pseuds/RetrobrandTerobrand
Summary: The O.W.C.A had always been clear with its stipulations. There was no toeing the line between the two parts of his lives that danced around in ignorance of each other. On one side, there was his family- innocent in their presumptions about his constant disappearances, and on the other, there was Heinz Doofenshmirtz. The man he had been specifically warned to stay away from. Fraternisation wasn't tolerated, and toeing the line had never been easy.
Relationships: Heinz Doofenshmirtz/Perry the Platypus, Perry the Platypus/Peter the Panda (Phineas and Ferb), Tags to be added - Relationship, past - Relationship
Comments: 12
Kudos: 56





	Juxtaposition

_Surprisingly, the warning didn’t come from Monogram, but a higher major, who eyed him with a sublime mixture of respect and caution._

_“It’s been brought to my attention that your assigned nemesis, Doctor Heinz Doofenshmirtz, has renounced any association with criminal activities.”_

_Perry nodded, despite the sour curve of his mouth at the horrid mispronunciation of the scientist’s name._

_His superior paused, gaze falling down to Perry’s height as he eyed the agent._

_“It would be obvious that your services would no longer be needed in the presence of the good doctor, would it not?”_

_His tongue rolled over the word ‘good’, mouth twisting unpleasantly. He leaned forward slightly, hands clasped tightly behind his back._

_‘Yes, sir.’_

_“I understand that your job is complicated. You are, in the eyes of your superiors and co-workers, the best in your field. In fact, Agent P, you’re undoubtedly one of the best agents we’ve ever had._

_"So”, he continued, briefly sparing Perry a courteous nod, “What you do in your off time, and who you do it with, is up to you.”_

_A piece of paper was slid over to him, neat and white aside from the names listed in deep red down the page._

_"Unless, of course, it’s with someone on our threat list. Someone who, despite their supposed change of sides, is still quite high on the list.”_

_Perry lifted his hand, but the major cut him off sharply._

_“I want you to understand, Agent P, that a man giving up his criminal lifestyle does not make him good. Any relation with him that is more than the standard duty of care expected is against regulation.”_

* * *

  
  


“You know, I don’t know much about you.”

Heinz didn’t so much as twitch an eye in his attempt to embody a false sense of innocence, eyebrows raised curiously as he took a sip from his coffee.

It wasn’t a completely inane question, considering Perry was acutely aware of the scientist’s inquisitive nature, but rarely was there ever a burning glint to his gaze that roved over Perry with the sort of desperation of a man whose whole life had been built around wanting to _know_. Even if it was usually a desire to know how a particularly complex machine worked, rather than senseless information about himself. 

Perry frowned at the question, pausing in his quiet scrutiny over the game of Pachisi they had been huddled over for the last half an hour. He was winning, but for Heinz’s sake, he had been trying to drag the game out. The cafe his former nemesis dragged him to have lunch at was quiet, and served the Oolong tea he liked. There was nowhere he needed to be, no beeping from his watch (yet), so he found himself silently enjoying Heinz’s flaky company.

‘ _What’s there to know?’_ Perry signed after a second, not bothering to avert his gaze from the cloth spread across the table. He saw blue eyes narrow in his peripheral vision, and a pale head drop sideways in an attempt to catch his eye.

“Well, I’d assume a lot.” Heinz leaned forward, invading the agent’s space and earning a flat stare for his troubles. He quirked an eyebrow, and gestured vaguely in Perry’s direction. 

“I don’t even know what your favourite colour is.” 

‘ _Don’t have one,’_ Perry replied, even as he eyed the sleeve of his teal suit- the same one he wore most days. 

“Really,” Heinz replied flatly, tilting his head. He tapped a bony finger against his chin, eyes scanning over the table, before they settled on his half finished cup of tea. 

“What about... How you started drinking Oolong tea of all things?”

 _‘Peter_ ,’ Perry found himself spelling without thinking, belatedly realising just who he had mentioned right as the name slipped out between his fingers.

“Peter?” Heinz echoed, mouth twisting into a surprised frown, “I thought you didn’t like him?” 

Perry scowled, and with a jerky hand movement signed that it was ‘complicated’. 

He fixed a harsh gaze over the scientist, finding his temper short and prickly (like it always was) at the mention of his co-worker. His old nemesis didn’t deserve to bear his ire, but he took it in stride (or ignorance), still tapping away at the table in thought. 

The tea cooling steadily next to him suddenly felt tasteless in his mouth, tangy and wrong as he signed, with a far gentler swipe of his hand, for the scientist to move on with the conversation.

It was easy, falling into the lull of their familiar relationship- as easy as it was to forget about the turmoil that still lingered between their past.

He liked Heinz. He had held a ghostly sort of affection towards him ever since the scientist fell over his own words during the ramble of their very first interaction.

Even past his status as O.W.C.A’s best agent- the person who thrived in his solitude and seemed to look in disdain at most things, had been filing the man as ‘interesting’ rather than someone to get rid of indefinitely. In turn, he found himself at the mercy of the comfortable routine they had adopted. The red flush of heat that lingered on his cheeks when Heinz would brush a foot against his own, or let his pale fingers slide against Perry’s much darker ones, was beginning to pick away at the barrier he had always held tight around others. 

But they were friends. Close, bittersweet and slightly inane. There was no room for fraternisation within OWCA, or at least, among those within the unethical margin of existence. 

He swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in his throat, eyes narrowing, and gestured for Heinz to take his roll. The scientist grumbled, mumbling something about “going easy to humiliate me” as the agent laced his fingers back around his warm mug.

Winter had closed in fast, the frost harsher and colder than it was last year. Snow had already backed up his street more than once in the past week, and he was getting sick of sitting in a freezing lair because Monogram hadn’t bothered to get the heating fixed yet. 

“But seriously,” Heinz muttered, hand hovering over his piece before he moved it carelessly out of a castle square, “You’re not going to tell me anything? Not even what type of cuisine you like? Favourite band? Allergies?”

Perry raised an eyebrow, vaguely amused at the accusatory look his ex-nemesis was shooting at him.

_‘I don’t even know what your favourite band is, Heinz.’_

Heinz blinked. “Oh. Well, it’s Love Handel. The Love Sandals are a close second, though.”

The agent rolled his eyes, ignoring the warm flush of affection that dusted his gaze. He shifted his hat, eyes floating to the window as he dismissed the warm smile Heinz shot him as merely polite. 

“They’re not bad- if that’s what that look means,” Heinz said after a second, chin cushioned by his hand.

Perry huffed a small laugh, but didn’t voice his curiosity about whether the inventor was aware that his daughter had been in attendance to one of the Love Sandals concerts with Monogram’s son.

He supposed it wouldn’t matter all too much now, given Heinz’s change of tides. But there was still a significant amount of animosity lingering between his boss and his old nemesis.

“Are you even listening to me?” 

Bony fingers snapped at his ear, drawing his gaze away from the heavy layer of snow that was beginning to form outside.

Heinz only looked mildly offended, fingers fidgeting with the upturned corner of his collar. 

It had been bothering Perry all morning. 

Brown eyes lingered over blue for a second, careless in their wide eyed curiosity. A glint of mischief weaved its way through his expression, the scientist stretching in his seat without averting his gaze. 

_'Something on my face?’_

Heinz cleared his throat, eyes flickering upwards briefly, “No. There’s- no.”

Perry hiked an eyebrow, hand rubbing at his cheek subconsciously. He pursed his lips, gaze lingering over Heinz’s sheepish form as he fiddled with one of the game pieces. Perry raised a hand, ready to gesture curiously at the man, but thought better of it, instead settling to revel in the moment of silence, simple and placid like the silences he shared with Candace in the morning over breakfast.

He could almost hear Heinz’s racing heart as the scientist collected himself; never one to sit contently through an empty conversation.

But it was there dynamic, he supposed. Heinz filled his silence with his own words, and he listened.

“Ugh, dummkopf! I could have moved there and stolen one of your pieces.”

Perry’s mouth quirked into an amused smile. He made a so-so gesture, feigning concentration as he rolled, before swiping two more pieces.

Heinz, ever the good sport, shot him a flat look, and slouched back down in his seat. “How does someone even get this good at pachisi? That means there is someone in your life that you actively play an obscure Indian board game with.” 

_‘Not that obscure.’_

The scientist grumbled, and cast a look of disdain over the board as Perry began to carefully fold the cloth. He scooped up his own lackluster pile of stolen pieces, before pausing.

Perry raised an eyebrow, ‘ _what?’_

“Why did you decide to become an agent, anyway?”

The question surprised him, even if he knew that Heinz wasn’t above asking about a topic he had done his best to shroud in taboo. Perry clicked his tongue, mind surprisingly stumped as he wondered if he was allowed to answer- or let slip a tidbit of information that would keep the scientist satisfied. It would have been easy to dodge the question- to change the subject, but Heinz’s imploring gaze held up. His back had tensed, rigid with curiosity and bracing for impact- worried Perry would take the question wrong even under his own tenacity. 

Perry pursed his lips, turning over the possible answers he could offer the scientist without revealing two much or being generic. It hadn’t simply been the dream job that came to him in a bizarre and enlightening dream- but it had certainly peaked his interest when he received the offer.

He had been told it was in his blood, once. An offhand comment from a supervisor during his training phase. Odd, considering one half of his family were the Fletchers- all smart, but notably lacking any drive for ‘justice’, while the other half was a broken string of members from his mother's side, the most direct being his aunt, who was filled to the brim with stale charm.

 _‘The agency will sometimes scout for gifted children_ ’, he settled on, swallowing his trepidation about the question.

A big surprise for his aunt, who had told the man who had noticed his athletic and academic prowess that he “doesn’t do much, you know.”

Perry summed it up to her overall disinterest in his education. She was proud when he received Dux, but rarely acknowledged any other award he ever received.

“They start that young?” Heinz questioned, tongue rolling over the words carefully, like he didn’t quite believe it. 

Perry waved a hand, downing the last of his tea, dodging the question to instead ask where Heinz had parked. 

“I walked. It wasn’t as snowy this morning. I mean, I _did_ slip a couple of times. But uh, I guess I should have checked the weather.”

Perry grinned, and jerked a thumb to his car, ‘ _I’ll drive you home.’_

They both stood, Heinz fishing for his wallet even as Perry pulled out his own wad of cash, slipping it under menu with a brief smirk. The scientist pulled a face, collar still flicked up obnoxiously.

“It’s my turn to pay, you know.”

Brown eyes went skyward, amused but hesitant as he moved sharply in front of the scientist to block the path to the door.

“What are you- oh.”

Perry reached up to tug on his collar, going on his tiptoes for a second as he focused intensely- if only to avoid Heinz’s own gaze- on the ruffled flap, nimble fingers fluffing the back up before smoothing it back down. He could smell cologne in the close proximity, a pleasant aroma that caught his breath in his throat as Heinz suddenly leaned forward.

Perry had been short his whole life, but never had he felt flustered in the shadow of someone he had known for years. 

A man tucked himself past Heinz, and he finally stepped back, still smelling the soft scent of what Perry thought was Giorgio Armani. It was a stark contrast to the smell of oil he was used to, and strange, considering he didn’t take Heinz as someone who would bother with such a thing.

 _‘There_ ’, he gestured, dropping back down on his feet to admire the clean cut of his lab coat. Heinz’s hand went up to the collar, neck flushed red as he offered a diffident smile. 

“Thanks- I uh, didn’t realise it was- well, yeah obviously.” He shook his head, and then he was staring, eyes moving between Perry and the door like he was pondering something with the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“So, uh, where are you off to now? I mean my place, obviously, because you said you would drop me off. But I mean, after that.” He cleared his throat, then offered a bit more thoughtfully, “I’m kind of curious now.”

‘ _About?’_ Perry prompted when Heinz only pursed his lips, moving slightly to the side to let an old woman past. She shot them a bewildered look, and only then did Perry realise they were still standing in the middle of the cafe.

He tugged on Heinz’s sleeve, but his tumbled steps to the side didn’t interrupt his thoughts.

“About where you live. Is it in some nice apartment that's sparsely decorated because all you do is work, so you don’t have time to even put a plant on the kitchen bench? Or a sleek loft with a nice bed, a treadmill and nothing else?” He snorted, “I bet OWCA makes you all live in some underground bunker so you can focus on work.”

Perry rolled his eyes, but Heinz was adamant, hand clasping over his shoulder as he cast a fake look of sympathy over the agent. “I’m serious, how does someone who never misses a day of work- and never has a day off, for that matter, take care of a house? I mean, there’s cleaners and stuff, but you’re way too much of a control freak for that. No offence.”

Sure, he didn’t like people touching his stuff or moving anything around in his room, but did anyone? 

Perry signed as much to Heinz, who only offered a smug smile. “I don’t care as much because I have less secrets.”

  
The agent brushed his fingers against his nose.

_'Funny’._

Funny, but still true.

It was juxtaposed, how he could reveal his agency status to Heinz, but not to his family, who in turn knew him as the uncle who wore sweats and acted as the occasional chauffeur to soccer practice or the mall. Heinz had never so much as seen him in a t-shirt, let alone as any of the other ‘Uncle Perry’ stuff that he left behind each morning for work.

Perry frowned, signing quickly that it was _‘easier to live alone_ ’, and despite the friendly look on Heinz’s face- the non-judgement that practically oozed off his gaze, he found himself swerving around the truth. Not for the first, or last, time.

_'I don’t like company.’_

“Ah,” Heinz looked slightly disappointed, but smiled all the same. “That’s an understatement.”

Perry shrugged. People didn’t join the agency for a social life. Throughout his entire time working for O.W.C.A, he had found himself skipping out on dates, avoiding phone calls while undercover, and moving through his career without much need for a significant other. 

“Are you allowed to tell friends or people you date your profession?” 

_‘No.’_

“Huh. Tough rules.”

Perry swallowed, nodding slightly as he gazed up at Heinz behind guarded eyes. He did his best not to admire the gentle tussle of the scientist's brown hair, or the soft curve of his lips as he looked down at him in worried amusement. 

It wasn’t so much as a problem if they already did know.

Fraternisation, on the other hand, was.

The scientist blinked, tilting his head when the agent’s stare didn’t let up, but before he could open his mouth, Perry raised a hand, gesturing with a smooth smile that he didn’t want to have to pay the parking meter again. 

“Oh yeah, those things are annoying. You park on the street for sixty-one minutes while you try and find an obscure marble chess piece bigger than a toaster, and suddenly you owe the government all your lunch money.”

  
Perry didn’t ask, or bother to even wonder why he had been looking for a large chess piece, instead allowing himself a small, but genuine smile while Heinz finally headed towards the door.

As they walked out, shoes hitting the snow with a frigid crunch, Perry wondered just what the consequences were for ignoring company regulations.

**Author's Note:**

> This is set after "Last Day of Summer" but before the "O.W.C.A Files". I'm probably going to mess with the timeline a bit to keep my own story straight.


End file.
